The Bridge School holding Open House on Saturday, Jan. 25

The Bridge School is excited to announce that our annual Informational Open House and “Building the Bridge Auction” take place this month.

The Informational Open House will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 10 am – 12 pm at the school’s location in the Normandy Park Towne Center, Suite 408, 19901 1st Avenue S., Normandy Park, WA 98148. During the Open House, interested families can explore the school, meet teachers and staff, ask questions and pick-up an application packet. Prospective students and their families are welcome to attend the Informational Open House together. The open enrollment period is from January 25 – March 10, 2014.

Tickets are still available for the annual Building the Bridge Auction that takes place on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 6 – 9 pm at the Georgetown Stables. This festive annual event features live and silent auctions, food, wine, photos and the opportunity to support a community-based, progressive elementary school.

The Bridge School is a progressive, multi-age, cooperative elementary program dedicated to fostering authentic learning through whole-child development. The program was founded in 2011 by a grassroots group of parents who sought a locally based, community-oriented school. The Bridge School now serves students age five through ten in two multi-age classrooms and offers a core academic program, a focus on social/emotional learning, regular elective courses, outdoor exploration, and an optional Friday enrichment class. Students are taught and assessed based on developmental stage rather than specific grade levels.

Bridge School teachers use a variety of curriculum and approaches with the goal of supporting each child’s intrinsic motivation to learn. Within broad themes and objectives, teachers often use constructivist methods and select interdisciplinary projects to develop student skills in formulating questions, seeking answers, thinking through possibilities and evaluating failure and success. Over multiple years, teachers and students develop strong relationships. Teachers have the time to offer a high level of individual attention and student ideas and perceptions are always treated with seriousness and respect. Students have opportunities to learn from peers and take on mentorship roles.

Cooperative schools have a long history in the United States and are becoming increasingly popular all over the country. This model requires high parent involvement and supports a strong school to home connection. While professional teachers and staff plan and implement the curriculum, parents serve as administrative and classroom support staff. The greater Puget Sound area is home to several successful cooperative schools including University Cooperative School, Kapka Cooperative School and public cooperative schools in the Edmonds, Northshore and Marysville school districts.

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